French cycle race through level crossing with train approaching (video)

[Mr_Kipling]

Saw this in the paper today so looked for the video on youtube. The race could have been organized a lot better.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09NLPvxGH3g

 

[gavroche]

This is a common occurrence even in the TdF. When it happens, the leaders are told to slow down so that the rest of the bunch can catch up after the crossing.

 

[Cyclist33]

jeez, if anyone had got their wheel stuck there would have been hell.

 

[snorri]

This thread should be in Race, not in General Cycling, these racing types are not like normal people, I blame the drugs

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

This thread should be in Race, not in General Cycling, these racing types are not like normal people, I blame the drugs

It already is.

And in café.

And now here.

 

[snorri]

It already is.

And in café.

And now here.

Once was more than enough for me thanks

 

[bpsmith]

This wasn't just some random French race, it was Paris - Roubaix!

The peloton were told to slow and allow the split group to catch up after.

The interesting bit was that some went through when barriers were just starting to drop, but others went through blatantly fully dropped barriers with train approaching. No exclusions though, albeit tough to decide.

 

[Mr_Kipling]

This thread should be in Race, not in General Cycling, these racing types are not like normal people, I blame the drugs

Sorry my bad. As I don't race, and only commute to work 1 mile on the bike I only ever post in here so it never crossed my mind to look at where to post it.

 

[winjim]

They should totally do a race where there are trains thundering around as an obstacle, it would be awesome! They could also leave useful stuff around for the racers to use. There could be banana skins to drop, maybe different shells to throw at people, some kind of weird mushroom...

 

[snorri]

Sorry my bad. As I don't race, and only commute to work 1 mile on the bike I only ever post in here so it never crossed my mind to look at where to post it.

It's ok, don't take me seriously.

 

[slowmotion]

The people who dodged round the barriers are seriously stupid. A TGV can travel 500 yards in five seconds, as this unfortunate cyclist discovered...

http://road.cc/content/news/114250-french-tgv-train-travels-40km-cyclists-body-embedded-front-cab

 

[Cyclist33]

it was extremely stoopid but also extremely irresponsible, if as has been claimed on cyclechat before, cycling is the worlds most watched sport, then what sort of message does this give to kids approaching level crossings with their bikes?

worse still weve got quite a few rail crossings round here that dont even have barriers just a sign saying stop look listen.

tw@ts.

 

[jim55]

Why don't they just build a temp bridge over the line , a kinda scaffolding / easy structure to ride over and above the danger ,would easily solve the problem

 

[slowmotion]

Why don't they just build a temp bridge over the line , a kinda scaffolding / easy structure to ride over and above the danger ,would easily solve the problem

The overhead cables can be at about 25,000 volts. You don't want a bridge to be anywhere near that.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Prison is the only language that these riders are going to understand.